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One new case in city, 355 in province

Day camps not permitted for spring break, variant cases over 1,000

Mar 16, 2021 | 4:37 PM

Parents and kids thinking that day camps will be open during the upcoming spring break had their hopes dashed this afternoon.

Camps will not be allowed until Step 4 of the province’s Path Forward. Alberta is currently in Step 2.

“I understand the desire for these camps and I know many people would like to have them happen during spring break or the Easter long weekend. But these sorts of activities create risks of mixing groups and it is extremely difficult to limit the risks of exposure,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

She said one case can lead to many and “we do not want it to happen in these settings.”

The chief medical officer of health said there are currently 509 active cases of variants of concern, which make up about 11 per cent of all active cases in the province. New variant data was added to the online dashboard this week.

“The percentage of variants in our active cases is rising. The toll that variants have taken on the U.K., Italy and other countries are a cautionary tale that we must continue to take very seriously,” said Hinshaw.

She said aggressive measures taken have bought time for the vaccine to work and that in some ways there is a race between the variants and the vaccines.

“We need to limit the spread of these variants and all other strains of COVID-19 as we work over the next several months to immunize Albertans who are most vulnerable to ending up in hospital and other severe outcomes.”

There are nine active cases of COVID-19 in Medicine Hat on Tuesday.

The city now has had 567 total cases – the nine active, 541 recovered and there have been 17 deaths.

There is one new case in the city today and one new recovery.

Across the province, there are 4,776 active cases, down 35 from Monday, and 132,415 recovered cases, up 387.

Alberta’s total cases from the start of the pandemic is 139,143.

There have been 1,047 variant cases identified in the province, 62 new today. There are 23 in the South Zone.

There are 355 total new cases in the province today.

There are now 260 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, 44 of which are in ICU, and 1,952 deaths.

The province completed 6,018 tests in the past 24 hours.

The positivity rate is about 5.9 per cent.

Alberta has delivered 379,882 doses of vaccine.

Starting tomorrow at 8 a.m. Albertans born in 1949-51 or earlier will be able to book vaccine appointments, as will First Nations, Metis and Inuit people born in 1964-66 or earlier.

The chief medical officer of health asked for people to be patient as they try to book appointments.

Hinshaw also announced a change in how and when outbreaks will be publically reported.

Previously some were reported at five cases and others at 10. All outbreaks in workplaces and other settings will be reported when 10 confirmed cases are linked.

Thresholds for public reporting in continuing care, acute care and other child care, education, shelter or correctional facilities will remain the same.

Hinshaw’s next update will be on Wednesday.

An outbreak is listed on the provincial website at the Valleyview long-term care facility in Medicine Hat. The outbreak was opened on Feb. 12. It’s the only local outbreak currently listed.

There are 7,186 cases in the South Zone. There are 610 active cases and 6,476 recovered. The death total in the zone is at 100.

An AHS spokesperson told CHAT News on Monday that AHS South Zone currently has 32 COVID-19 positive individuals in hospital. There are 25 at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, with four of those in the ICU. Medicine Hat Regional Hospital has three inpatients, with none in the ICU. The Cardston Health Centre has four inpatients.

There are no local schools on either “Alert” or “Outbreak” status on the provincial reporting site.

An individual from Ross Glen School has tested positive for COVID-19. Some students and staff have been directed to quarantine for a specified period of time and all close contacts have been identified and are also in quarantine.

The website Support Our Students is tracking instances of cases in schools across the province.

Cypress County has totaled 146 cases – one active case and the rest recovered.

The County of Forty Mile has 120 total cases. There are two active cases, 115 recovered and there have been three deaths.

The MD of Taber has 344 total cases — five active cases, 333 recovered and there have been six deaths.

Special Areas No. 2 has 50 total cases – 10 active cases, 39 recovered and there has been one death.

Brooks has 1,365 total cases — two active cases and 1,349 are recovered. Brooks has recorded 14 deaths.

The County of Newell has a total of 160 cases — no active cases, 158 recovered and there have been two deaths.

The County of Warner has 174 total cases. There are 12 active cases, 159 are recovered cases and there have been three deaths in the county.

The City of Lethbridge has a total of 2,622 cases. There are 456 active cases, 2,140 recovered and there have been 26 deaths. Lethbridge County has 561 cases, 14 active cases, 540 recovered and there have been seven deaths.

The figures on alberta.ca are “up-to-date as of end of day March 15, 2021.”

Read the full March 16 update from the province here.

Saskatchewan has a total of 30,883 cases, 1,292 considered active. There are 29,182 recovered cases and there have been 409 COVID-19 deaths in the province.

Saskatchewan has delivered 108,669 doses of vaccine.